Topkapı Palace

Ongoing restorations at Topkapı Palace have unearthed never-before-seen silver and gold coins, jewelries, talismans, amulets and letters. But one mysterious finding amongst others was an encrypted letter dating back to 1871, carrying the seal of Cevher Agha, also known as the Dârüssaade Ağası, the chief eunuch of Sultan Abdülaziz’s harem, found in a closet at the harem of the palace.

Some 176 historical structures, including the Hagia Sophia, Topkapı Palace and Istanbul Archaeology Museums, will continue to defy the years after the works to reinforce them against possible earthquakes.

Istanbul’s former seat for Ottoman sultans Topkapı Palace has been saved from getting zoned for construction. The decision, made by the Cultural Heritage Conservation High Council, allows the palace to keep its “first-degree” archeological site status following an ongoing debate.

A Turkish hamam used as a bath by five Ottoman Sultans has been uncovered during restorations in Topkapı Palace—the first and most famous of the sultans’ residences and administrative centers in Istanbul.

A fiery debate has been sparked in Turkey over the alleged use of the ancient city of Ephesus in the Aegean province of İzmir for wedding and circumcision ceremonies and other events, with the Culture and Tourism Ministry stressing that only cultural and touristic ceremonies are allowed at the site.

Turkey today might be doing its best to pave over Istanbul in concrete, but the city continues to resist, maintaining its status as the most beautiful in the world, said prominent travel writer and guide Saffet Emre Tonguç.